An Encouraging Anchor for Your Week

What Does “Be Still” Actually Mean?

“Be still, and know that I am God! ~Psalm 46:10

If we've been friends for a while, then you probably already know that I'm that girl who's always doing something. And when I say always, I'm saying that if I'm sitting in front of the TV, I'm convinced there's something I should be doing besides lying on the couch.

And in full disclosure, my restlessness has even caused my husband, Pat, to go into full alert mode when he sees me grab the ladder out of the garage. (I may or may not have had a few falls in the past, insisting that my super-human-God-given strength will keep me elevated 18 feet off the ground.) Yeah, I've done some really stupid stuff in my heightened desire to hang-the-thing, get-the-thing, change-the-thing, or clean-the-thing. And with that, let's not all go into shock when the hubs makes an executive decision to start hiding chairs and ladders in the house. 🤷‍♀️

The running list I create in my head and on paper of all the things that absolutely need to get done now… for lack of a better word, is a bit chaotic.

While in the moment, my emotional charge to get it all done is no joke. It's ridiculous, actually.

And too often, if I try to do that smart thing we're called to do — ummm… delegating — if said request isn't being done by said person in our house within 20 minutes, there's a 94.999% chance I may decide that task has become the most important thing in the world, and now I must do it myself. (Enter visual of me wearing that super-human-God-given-strength cape, ready to seize the day… or the most "important" task.)

The craziest part? I've gotten up at least four times while writing this after remembering some other task that I assured myself I was going to get done today.

It's ridiculous. And I often wonder if I'm simply trying to distract myself from something else — a "thing" that's not a task, but a deeper issue of discontentment or anxiousness. 🤔

Is it possible that my anxiousness is leading to further anxiousness?

Recently, I've started to try and become a little more raw with myself and God. I've started to ask why. I've started to cry out with the "I need you, I can't feel you" prayer like our ol' friend David.

And you know what I'm learning?

I’m learning that God will meet me where I am. Today. Tomorrow. In any moment.

I'm learning that BE STILL isn't sitting in a chair with my hands folded — it's a faithful and trusting heart posture, knowing that while I sort through my restless emotions and continue on a journey of healing, I know HE'S IN CONTROL.

I'm learning that bad days never mean that God isn't present or "checked out," but may mean I need to fully check in with Him.

I’m learning that some of my "spiritual routines" may mean I'm, in fact, hiding from healing rather than engaging and openly accepting the MORE He's trying to do in me and through me.

Because this journey of healing isn’t always quiet.

Sometimes it looks like tears and random thoughts in our prayer journals. Sometimes it looks like a restless heart, a racing mind, and the overwhelming urge to just keep moving.

And what I’m beginning to understand is that when God calls us to "be still," He’s not asking us to become emotionless or perfectly calm. He’s inviting us to quiet the accusation — the voice that says we’re doing faith wrong because we’re anxious, overwhelmed, or struggling to rest.

God isn’t upset with me or you when our thoughts are loud. He isn’t disappointed when we feel restless. He’s simply asking us to fix our eyes on Jesus and trust Him in the process. Because sometimes, the anxiousness isn’t proof that God is distant — it’s the very place He wants to remind us that He’s already here.

Scripture reminds us in Proverbs 4:23 calls us to guard our hearts — because everything we do flows from it.

And when Scripture speaks of our hearts, it's speaking to the thoughts that guide our responses, shape our decisions, and often move us into restlessness.

Maybe our busy-busy behavior isn’t always about productivity… but about a heart that’s still healing.

And stillness, in this season, may look less like sitting still, and more like resting our thoughts in Him, with Him, and through His Word, while we nurse what hurts, guard what’s tender, and trust in the faithfulness of a God who is present all day, every day.

Praying for you my friend. 💞

📖 Scripture of the Week

“I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

💡 Tip of the Week: Rest Your Thoughts

No matter the chaos around us — or the trouble within us — we can rest in knowing that our days are authored by Him, our eternity is secure with Him, and the outcome has already been settled.

He’s already overcome We already know how the story ends.When your mind begins racing this week, pause and ask:

What am I believing right now that’s making me feel restless?

Then bring that thought to God in prayer — and rest it in truth.

📚 Go Deeper on the Blog

If this encouraged you, I share more about walking through seasons of uncertainty with God here:

➡️ Seeking Clarity from God on Pearls & Pumas

Prayer for You

Heavenly Father,

You see the thoughts that keep me moving when my hearts is tired. Help me to rest my mind in You, even when my circumstances remain uncertain. Teach me to guard my heart as I heal and remind me that stillness is found not in doing less, but in trusting more. Quiet the voices that accuse me and help me to fix my eyes on YOU Jesus in every moment.

Almighty God, please restore what feels unsettled and strengthen me as I continue this healing journey.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

🛍️ Faith-Filled Encouragement for Your Day

If you're learning to rest your thoughts in Him this season, surround yourself with reminders of His presence.

Explore our Christ-centered journals, mugs, and apparel at Pearls of Praise Prints — created to help you stay grounded in truth, even on restless days.

In Love and Christ,

Dorene Elizabeth